Search: label/Freebies

With the days flying by quickly and Christmas getting closer and closer, it’s hard to think about much else. However, I have to starting thinking past Christmas.

Typically New Years Day just means my birthday, but this year it means something entirely different. Many of you may not realize this, but January 2nd, In Good Cents will officially be 1 year old!

This adventure wasn’t at all what I expected. I started In Good Cents to teach my friends and family members how to save money on things they needed, so they could cut their own budgets just like I had done with my own. The “IN” in In Good Cents stood for Indiana, because all the stores and deals I covered were Indiana deals. But, I watched as the tiny map of my readers grew and expanded, reaching as far as Alaska and even into other countries. This, I didn’t expect.

Another thing that surprised me immensely was how I felt about deal blogging. I knew I liked finding great deals and I loved helping others get great deals too, but I didn’t realize how much I would absolutely love running my own site and connecting with my readers. Every time someone e-mailed me or left a comment saying how much they appreciated what I did or just making a comment, it would make me feel so wonderful.

2009 was a time of ups and downs for me from my crazy pregnancy (my son separated my pelvic bone and totally messed with my taste buds!) to a struggling newborn (who screamed in pain until just recently the doctors discovered he was suffering from a milk protein allergy that included my own milk!). It was also a huge learning experience for me. I’ve not only found out more than I ever thought I could about blogging, but I also have had readers share with me their savings tips, recipes, and so much more. Basically, while I was working to teach you, you were also teaching me.

With a new year, comes change. I’ve been sitting down and thinking about what exactly I want In Good Cents to become (of course, I still want In Good Cents to be a great place to find amazing deals and help you cut your budget). However, with a new vision in mind, I’ve created a few goals for myself and In Good Cents for the 2010 year.

Bit a bit less formal and more “me” to share a bit of myself with my readers

Build a community with my readers and other bloggers

Take the website to the next level, making it easier to navigate, plus adding all the wonderful business jargon that sites need these days

Grow, grow, and grow

Balance all of this with my wonderful family, because family is always first

You may have already noticed a few of these changes slowly happening now. I’ve partnered with Brandie from Free Sample Freak to provide you with more freebies and Clair from Mummy Deals to get you a full list of Walgreen’s deals. On top of that, I’ve partnered with Rene at Budget Saving Mom to add on all of those wonderful Rite Aid Deals, which just aren’t available in my area (unfortunately). Plus, I’m working with Briana of Bargain Briana to get you a highlight of the best KMart deals and I’m hunting down a partner for Walmart deals. Which, not only helps me spend more time with my family, but is also helping with my goal to grow and build a community.

On top of that, over the next few weeks, you’ll notice other changes taking place. Some may be behind the scenes, while others, like the fact that many of my old “how to” posts are being adjusted to make them easier to read, understand, and navigate. And of course, you’ll notice all the legal jargon popping up like the Disclosure Policy that recently appeared.

I also have plans to pay it forward and share with you all I’ve learned about blogging, since so many of you have asked. On top of that, next year I plan to roll out e-classes on saving money that is similar to the classes I teach in town, so that readers in other states and countries can gain the same knowledge as those close by.

Hopefully the end result will be a much better In Good Cents that will help you learn to cut your budget even more.

Have an idea of something you’d like to see on In Good Cents or something you believe will make it better? Now is the time to share and I’d love to hear all of your thoughts, requests, wishes, and more! Including the things you don’t want to change. Just leave a comment or contact me.

Plus, watch for announcements as changes get made! Hopefully nothing will go too wonky in the process.